Pa ystyriaeth sydd wedi'i rhoi i ymestyn lwfans tanwydd gaeaf i bobl ar incwm isel sydd wedi gweld cynnydd yn eu biliau ynni cartref o ganlyniad i gadw at gyngor aros gartref Llywodraeth Cymru yn ystod pandemig y coronafeirws?
The UK Government has agreed to extend the Warm Home Discount Scheme for one year to cover 2020/21, worth an estimated £10m annually to Welsh Households in the core group. The Warm Home Discount is a one off £140 discount applied to an electricity bill between September and March, which can be applied to a gas bill on request by the bill payer. Consumers qualify for the discount if they are either on the guaranteed credit element of Pension Credit (core scheme) or on a low income and meet their energy supplier’s criteria for the scheme.
The Welsh Government acknowledges additional financial support is required for lower income households required to stay at home during the current pandemic. Additional funding is being provided through the Welsh Government’s Discretionary Assistance Fund (DAF) to help with the cost of topping up prepayment meters for gas and electricity. Arrangements are also being put in place to expand the DAF scheme to provide an Emergency Assistance Payment (EAP) of not more than £175 to help lower income households not connected to the gas grid to meet the cost of heating oil and liquid gas this winter. This expanded pilot scheme will operate until 31 March 2021.